Visalia Visual Chronicle comes to First Friday art walk

Visalia and nearby areas are the subject of the Visalia Visual Chronicle now on display at the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery. You'll see Main Street, the Downtown trolley, an old drive-in theater and scenic views. A reception will be held 5:30-8 p.m. on Aug. 1 during the First Friday art walk.

Established in 2011, the chronicle is a collection of art in a multitude of mediums designed to capture the experiences, peoples and locations of Visalia. The chronicle's mission is to build a public art collection program for the people of Visalia through an acquisition program over the coming decades. It has been displayed in various locations locally and will continue to be as the collection grows.

The collection is facilitated by the Arts Consortium, a nonprofit organization which serves to connect community, art, and culture in Tulare County. The Arts Consortium hosts the First Friday art walks in Downtown Visalia.

Artwork that is sponsored by local donors remains in the permanent collection. Currently 13 of the 20 pieces in the collection are sponsored. Every two years new art is added to the collection. The Arts Consortium will put out a call for artists in the near future to submit art work. A committee will decide which pieces are chosen for inclusion for 2015-16.

“The Dancer” by Marie Logan.(Photo: Submitted)

Also on display is a whimsical woodcarving by Marie Logan. The carving has an interesting history. As she tells the story, Logan rescued the piece of wood years ago from her garden trimmings, commenting to her husband, "The way the branches grow on this piece looks kind of like a dancer."

She later stripped off the bark and began shaping the torso and head. But busy with a young family, she put it away for 40 years. A year or so ago she rediscovered it. "I always liked the shape and set about finishing it. I knew I would need a base, so I looked around the yard and found a bit of root in the woodpile from a tree we had taken out. It was a good size for my sculpture and had very unusual characteristics for a piece of wood. I liked it, removed the bark and adjusted the shape to my liking to suit the dancer. I joined the two pieces and oiled them."

The result is her sculpture called "The Dancer."

Donna is the coordinator of the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery and a member of the Arts Consortium

“Main Street” by Ernie Weerasinghe.
(Photo:
Submitted
)

How to attend

Brandon-Mitchell Gallery located in the Spiritual Awareness Center, 117 S. Locust St., Visalia (one block south of Main Street). Open during the Aug. 1 First Friday art walk and by appointment. Information: 624-2441 or www.spiritualawarenesscenter.com